Why should Physics be disregarded in support of global warming?

Question

One fact that CO2 levels rise after the temperature, is commonly countered with a response of "That was true in the past, but thats not what is happening now."

This would mean the properties of CO2 has changed, and physics is being discounted.

Answer 1

The research process is highly political.  You can't get a research grant for finding something that goes against the prevailing politics.

The laws of physics don't support CO2 absorbing enough infrared radiation to cause measurable global warming, but that doesn't matter.  The laws of physics can be ignored for what a lot of people seem to regard as a good cause.

Answer 2

why do you care? global warming wont bother you at all it happens when your gone, now go walk a dog or something instead of worry about pointless things

Answer 3

Global warming is a politcal and business opportunity.  It's a mechanism to 1) create an artificial industry of greenism and profit from it, 2) transfer industry from the US to other countries who dont care two hoots about global warming, 3) transfer money to basket case African countries in the name of "cap and trade", 4) get elected by claiming to be green.  (You dont have to live in a green manner - just check out Al Gore's power usage published within the last couple of weeks).

Answer 4

Go crack open a physics book and read about the greenhouse effect.  Then we'll talk.  A high school physics textbook will cover it.

I hope the other 'skeptics' come here and complain, because you're really giving them a bad name.

Answer 5

It doesn't mean that the properties of carbon dioxide have changed at all, what it means is that it works both ways: increased temperatures in the past caused lower solubility of carbon dioxide in the ocean and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further driving warming.  These days increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to warming of the planet, which will lead to warming of the oceans and lowered solubility of carbon dioxide in the ocean, causing more carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere, causing further warming.

This is something that make the effect particularly scary--there is a feedback mechanism which increases the overall effect.

Answer 6

Simple answer because in the past the events were natural driven by things like solar variability, things that take 100s usually thousands of years to get the temp up enough to start the release of Co2 from the oceans and methane from peet which then further raised the temp.

An example would be the PETM event, very slow change over 20000 years with Co2 ppm going up only ~1 or 2 ppm each 100 years the effect sent temps up 6deg c 35-50% of ocean life went extinct.

Now we (humans) are on the scene we are cutting out the middle man and just releasing Co2 directly 27 billion tons per year at the moment and compared to the PETM levels, Co2 has gone up ~30ppm in the last 30 years and temp has risen 0.7 in just 100 years and is expected to rise another 2-3 by the end of this century.